History's Shadow
by MissScaryKitty
Summary: Abraham Lincoln stumbles upon a vampire while she's feeding. He must decide what to do once he chases her down. Possible love triangle.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Hey everyone! I hope you enjoyed my first chapter. I have not read the book so don't judge too harshly. I really wanted to explore the possibilities of a vampire that might not have the power or agency we usually associate them with. Being a creature as vulnerable as a vampire is an interesting concept on its own, but we only ever see them as having powerful networks and money to survive. If you take all that away, you're left with a substantially weak being (especially if their unaware of their special abilities). I wanted to see where I could take the character of Helena and see how she grows within the frame of the ALVH story. She is a character that has very little in the beginning but will end up thriving because her lack of resources has forced her to adapt. Please review and let me know what you think! no flames please!

Chapter 1:

I ran from him. To my shame, I ran from my would-be murderer, feeling into the woods like a rat escaping a predator. He was a killer, a human, but a killer nonetheless. This man was fueled by rage and the thirst for revenge- a power no creature, living or undead, could match. I've heard of his work, his legend spread like wildfire among the vampires of Kentucky, and in horror I waited knowing that one day my name would be delivered to him like all the rest.

One balmy summer evening in July, I made the mistake that changed my life forever. I was in my usual secluded booth in the dark corner of the town's tavern waiting for a willing soul to stop by. It was like my office- the perfect place for me to operate.

All the townsfolk thought I was a whore, conducting my business in the night. The stigma used to bother me… it doesn't any longer.

I have fed on those who claimed to be saints and those who prided themselves on being sinners. I was their judge, their jury, and their executioner. If someone were to ask me why I chose these men, I could not answer them with any concrete certainty. There was no plot, no grand scheme… the souls of the damned were easy to come by and perhaps I just didn't like bad people.

It was by chance that the hunter passed my hidden booth in the corner. I had never seen the young man who worked at grocery store in the tavern before, much less in my section. I knew him to be an honorable, kind man, someone who wouldn't spend his evenings in a place like this. But there he was, as bold as brass, staring at me. My lips were wrapped tightly around my client's throat, my fangs sunken deeply into his warm flesh. This was the first time that I had ever fed on a victim in the tavern. I hissed at him, wanting to frighten him off, but he was not afraid of me, not one little bit.

The young man pulled his long coat aside, revealing a silver-bladed axe and I gasped in horror. That was when I knew this man, kind Abraham Lincoln from the grocery store, was the notorious vampire hunter. I also knew that regardless of whether or not my name was on his list, he was going to hunt me down.

For a moment, all I could do was stare at him, my mouth agape as I cowered like a fool in my seat. Finally, I told myself that I was a vampire, a species far stronger than his… that I could fight. This was surprisingly brave coming from someone who only ever ran and hid her entire undead life.

Reeling back my fist, I punched him square in the face. He stumbled backwards into the wall and I forced my way out of the booth, pushing past him and making a run for it down the narrow isle and into the storeroom.

I could feel him hot on my trail. The second I slammed the wooden door behind me, I heard him kick it open. Darting behind a crate of hooch, I became invisible. Abraham dove his hand into a bag of seed and threw it in the direction I disappeared. When he didn't find me, he started expertly spinning his axe in his hands, preparing for an attack. He would have to wait for a long time. I wasn't about to face the notorious vampire hunter by myself, unarmed and untrained.

"Mr. Lincoln, I'm determined I'm not going to die tonight and I don't particularly want to kill you either. So I propose we make a deal," I called from the corner of the storeroom. I knew I was in no position to bargain with him, it was obvious from the sound of my voice. "Don't hunt me and I will leave this town and never return."

"How can I agree to that, Miss Helena, when you'll only go to the next town and kill more men?" asked Abraham, cautiously making his way through the maze of crates and barrels. He was nervous, I could tell, but then again so was I.

"What does it matter? They wont be missed," I snapped. My voice bounced off the walls of the storehouse, disguising where I was hiding.

"I'm sure their wives would tell you differently," he retorted.

I could not help but snort at the ridiculousness of his argument. "Oh yes, those poor wives loosing the men that beat them and cheat on them… all those wonderful husbands that spend all their family's money in bars and on whores. I feel so bad for them."

Abraham had no answer to this. It was obvious I had made my point. Turning my head, I saw the backdoor exit. A sliver of moonlight shone from under the doorway and I knew that was my escape.

"If I let you live, how can I trust you to kill only bad men?" He asked, his voice getting closer and closer. I stiffened up, biting my bottom lip, as he came right up along side me, his axe at the ready. Once he was close enough, I kicked him in the shin and knocked him flat on his back.

"You're just going to have to take my word for it!" I yelled, running out the door and heading towards the woods.

I sprinted across the short stretch of meadow that separated our town from the woods. My skirts were gathered up in my hands so my legs wouldn't get tangled up in them. Still, he was so tall that I knew he would keep up the pace with me.

I reached the tree line unscathed and I thought I was home free until I heard a disturbing whistling noise from behind me. It was the sound of his axe sailing through the air. I let out a cry of fright, certain that this was the end. I heard the slash of metal and the sickening, crunching sound of organic material being cleaved in two. Suddenly I was jerked backwards by a sharp sting up my scalp. The axe had missed my head, if that was indeed what Abraham had been aiming for, and pinned my long hair to a tree. Regardless, I was caught.

Unable to touch the silver bladed weapon, I pressed myself tightly against the tree. Abraham stalked up to me, his eyes burning with anticipation of the kill. My fingernails dug into the cracking bark in fear.

"Abraham… Abe… you are not this man who kills blindly," I tell him, desperation filling my voice.

"How would you know what kind of man I am?" he growled darkly.

Suddenly, a memory of kind eyes and gentle smile crossed my mind. It was that exact moment when my fear of him began to slowly abate. I looked into his eyes hoping to see a glimmer of the man that I knew in the daylight hours.

"Because, Mr. Lincoln, you will speak to a whore as though she is deserving of respect like any other woman… and give her bread when she appears too thin or downtrodden to pay for it," I told him.

He knit his brow, surprised by my heartfelt words. Did he think I had forgotten? One winter's day, he slipped a loaf of day old bread into my hands when Speed, the shop owner, wasn't looking. He must have thought I was starving and took pity on me. The truth was; I was a newborn vampire, fading from lack of blood. No one wanted anything to do with me, not even my own kind whom Adam had forbidden to associate with me.

Abraham drew nearer, placing his large hand on the handle of his axe. "You are a vampire Helena, you didn't need that bread I gave you," he sighed.

"Yes I did…" I told him. My voice grew quieter as I recalled the events of that day. "You don't understand what it's like believing all those nasty things people say about you. I was ashamed for being a vampire, ashamed that everyone thought I was a tramp. They made me feel like I was nothing and then you, a complete stranger, showed me kindness… you don't know how much that meant to me. You made me feel human again."

I could not meet his gaze, even though I was stronger than I was back then, I still was uncomfortable speaking about the past. Especially then, when things were at their worst.

"How did you become a vampire?" he asked. I could tell he was beginning to struggle with what she should do with me.

"Have you ever heard of the name Adam?" I asked. There was a spark of recognition in his eyes that told me I needn't elaborate. "My family worked for him. My father was in charge of shipping the goods from his plantation up north to the factories. He frightened me, I didn't know what he was and I still feared him. When I was about sixteen, he began to come around my father's shop more and more. We knew he wasn't interested in how my father ran his business… mother wanted to keep me away from him but father didn't want to stir up trouble.

"On my eighteenth birthday, he proposed to me. I refused him, thinking that he'd finally leave me alone but that same night, he snuck into my bedroom and turned me into a vampire. It was his revenge on me for scorning him. As further punishment, Adam decreed that no vampire should help me, that I be shunned by my own kind. I was too afraid to face my parents so I ran away. This is why I am here with no money, no friends, and no means. You know me as Helena the whore but I had a family once and a promising life. That's all gone now."

Abraham stared at me for a long while then wrenched his axe from the tree trunk, releasing my hair. I hadn't realized I had bee crying until I felt a teardrop drip off of my jaw. I was too overwhelmed with anxiety and fear to be embarrassed.

"What now?" I asked him, wiping my eyes. I really did not wish to fight him.

"Now I walk you home," he told me simply.

I nearly choked in shock, the vampire hunter was going to let me live.

TBC

AN: Hey everyone! I hope you enjoyed my first chapter. I have not read the book so don't judge too harshly. I really wanted to explore the possibilities of a vampire that might not have the power or agency we usually associate them with. Being a creature as vulnerable as a vampire is an interesting concept on its own, but we only ever see them as having powerful networks and money to survive. If you take all that away, you're left with a substantially weak being (especially if their unaware of their special abilities). I wanted to see where I could take the character of Helena and see how she grows within the frame of the ALVH story. She is a character that has very little in the beginning but will end up thriving because her lack of resources has forced her to adapt. Please review and let me know what you think! no flames please!


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm so glad I heard from some of you guys! I've heard on request for no love triangle... I'm not particularly set on the idea myself so let me know what you guys want. I know the main plot is Abe/Helena so no worries there but hearing from you guys really helps me progress the story.**

I looked into Abraham's kind eyes, still in disbelief that he was the vampire hunter I had feared for months. He had revealed he wasn't just a simple grocer's assistant, but a man well worth fearing. Still, he had shown me kindness yet again by allowing me to live. He was certainly an enigma.

"There isn't a single vampire in these parts who's not talking about you. You know that right?" I asked.

Abraham let out a small chuckle as he tucked his axe away in his coat. "I suppose they have good reason to," he said, securing the weapon in place.

I watched him as he casually wiped some dirt off of his sleeves. He seemed so at ease with himself... I couldn't help but admire that quality in him.

"Aren't you afraid of them?" I questioned, knowing that even though I was a vampire myself, I feared most members of my race.

"I used to be afraid," he told me. "Now, I think we have a better understanding of one another."

Abraham offered me his arm then. After I slipped my chilled limb around his, he began to lead us out of the darkened woods. Though strange, I was appreciative of the gesture. I couldn't remember the last time I walked arm in arm with a gentlemen. I had never realized what a privilege it was until I ran away from home. An unfortunate was not a lady and to treat her like one was to disrespect every good woman in the town. Either Abraham was ignorant of this fact or he simply didn't care.

As we crossed the field, I found myself looking around for people who might see us together. It was late in the evening but I still wanted to make sure no one was around. Being seen with me could cause him a great deal of trouble.

"Mr. Lincoln, why did you decide to become a hunter?" I asked, curious how such a humble man could also be an expert at killing vampires.

"Revenge," he answered, his eyes darkening. "My mother was killed by a vampire."

I turned my head then, feeling guilty that one of my kind was responsible for his loss. "Did you catch the vampire who did it?" I asked, my voice quieter now as I looked anywhere but his eyes.

"No, but I'm close," he said, hunger lacing his words.

It was clear to me that this man was determined to take his vengeance. Even though he had just threatened to murder me only moments before, I found myself empathizing with him. We both suffered cruelly at the hands of vampires. I looked down at my tattered dress and dirty white skin and felt a flame of anger spark inside of me. Adam turned me into a monster and drove me into destitution, I sincerely wished him dead. But where was my strength to see the job done? Abraham seemed to have it in abundance and I, a creature supposedly far stronger than him, couldn't find it in myself to get off the streets. Even if I had the strength, I could not kill another vampire. Not only was it forbidden, it was impossible. In this moment, I felt like screaming.

"Adam and his clan deserve what they get," I murmured ominously, my grip tightening on his arm. Abraham did not answer me but I knew he understood.

We had reached the back of the storehouse and I slipped my arm out of his and waited politely for his farewell.

Instead of a parting word, he said, "You should leave this place, Helena."

Opening my mouth to speak, I found that no words would leave me at first. "Where would I go?" I finally asked.

My eyes met his and I was surprised by the sincerity I saw in those brown hues. Every time I thought I had stopped underestimating Abraham, I found I was still shortchanging him. Abraham brushed his fingers through his hair, his hand worrying at the nape of his neck as he thought.

"I might have an idea," he told me. "There's a man I know, another hunter, who might be able to help you. Let me write to him and I will let you know what he says."

"Are- are you sure?" I asked. My hands were trembling at my sides I was in such disbelief.

Abraham nodded, a kind grin tugging at the corner of his lips. "Of course," he said. "I cannot promise anything, this friend of mine is not fond of vampires, but I'm hoping that he'll understand your need."

I opened my mouth to speak but instead I found myself speechless. I was far too overwhelmed by this great kindness to think straight. To my credit, I did not cry.

Once I finally found my voice I thanked him adamantly. He told me it was alright, that I did not need to thank him, but I knew that I did. How could he possibly know what this meant to me?

When we finally parted ways that evening, I felt more optimistic than I had in months. Perhaps this was my chance to turn things around. If things worked out with his friend, I would owe Abraham Lincoln more than I could ever repay.

Five Days Later…

I was lounging in my corner booth with my eyes closed as I waited for a customer to come by. The night was fairly slow with slim pickings. Truth be told, I wasn't even hungry.

I turned down a sixteen year old a couple of hours ago. He was hoping I could make him a man. Little did he know, the only thing I was good at doing was depriving life, not enhancing it. He was so nervous to begin with that he didn't even question why I refused him- he simply turned tail and left. That boy was so young there was no point in robbing him of life.

Once two o'clock rolled around I decided to leave. I said goodbye to the owner, Davies, on my way out and he gave me a salute. Besides Abraham, Mr. Davies was the only person in this town that treated me with any respect. He understood that the world needed both queens and whores, and the only thing that separated us was fate. He must have thought I was terrible at my profession, seeing as none of my customers ever came back.

Breathing in the evening air, I made my way through the streets of the small town. There was a rundown inn at the end of the street that I lived out of. The rent was cheap and I made more from taking the pocketbooks off of the men that I killed than I would actually sleeping with them. One thing could be said about me, I was never short on my rent.

As I passed the grocery store, I heard the front door open. Someone whispered my name and I turned to face him. The familiar, tall, silhouette of Abraham Lincoln came into view and I hurried over to him. I'd been waiting for days to hear from him again.

"Miss Helena," he greeted me from the open doorway. "Please come in, I have some news."

I nervously held my breath as I stepped over the threshold. He said he had news… I didn't dare hope he meant it was good news.

Abraham closed the door behind him and pulled a folded letter out of his waistcoat pocket. "My friend replied to my message, he says he will take you in until you get back on your feet."

"Really?" I cried under my breath, far too excited to hold it all inside. Abraham nodded and without thought, I threw my arms around him in a tight embrace. "Thank you so much Mr. Lincoln. I don't know how you've made this happen, but I am forever grateful!" I told him.

"My friend's name is Henry Sturges," he told me, once I released him from my hold. "He's a bit eccentric but he knows all there is about vampires. He will be able to help you."

"I have no idea what to say…" I whispered, hugging my arms around myself.

"I have a delivery to make tomorrow, so I can give you a ride to his home on the cart. If you meet me at the end of the street, I'll stop and pick you up."

I nodded, feeling anxious to make my escape. "What time?"

"Noon."

I nodded, a smile stretching across my face, "I'll be there. Again, thank you so much, Mr. Lincoln."

He nodded warmly, "I'm just happy I could help."

"I know," I said as I made my way to the door, grinning as I let myself out. Looking back I saw Abraham staring out the window after me. Once our eyes met, he raised his hand and waved. I waved back and headed to the inn, too excited for words.

I didn't care who this Henry Sturges was, if he was willing to take me in, I was willing to give him a shot. The risk was big, but I had nothing to lose. I was going to be living as a vampire hunter's ward. I was more than ready to discover what that would be like.

**Please Review! You know you want to!**


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